Non-standard Medicine Entry

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi, I'm a 2020 high school graduate and I'm planning on either starting a Psych degree at USyd this year, or moving out and working full time (to start uni in 2022.) I would be studying for the UCAT simultaneously in both scenarios. In my search for a middle ground, I heard from some people that the admission requirements for UWS and JMP medicine are lower if you begin an undergraduate degree at UoN/UWS, and then apply through the non-standard pathway as opposed to applying via the NS pathway from a different uni. Would appreciate any extra info or advice regarding this. Thanks in advance.

UoN did have a program whereby students in a particular degree (can’t remember which one) could receive an interview invite on the basis of rural UCAT cut offs rather than non-rural, even if they were non-rural, but I believe that has already been scrapped. And WSU have never had a pathway like that as far as I’m aware/as far as we’ve ever had reported here.

 

[hopeful12345]

Hi all,

I'd love some advice.

I have received (very gratefully) an offer for med at JMP UON. However, I would personally prefer to study at Griffith uni due to it bing a lot closer to home. I have an undergraduate degree which I completed a few years back. I'm not sure if I should take the JMP offer starting this year and also sit the GAMSAT this year to apply for Griffith next year (would Griffith look at this unfavourably putting me at a disadvantage? and will my GPA come from only a completed degree or will my year of med be added?). If I get into Griffith I would start there next year and would graduate the same year due to the shorter length but if I don't get in just stay at JMP. Or, defer my JMP offer, sit GAMSAT and apply for Griffith for next year. However, if I don't get in then I would be starting the 5 year JMP from next year, hence delaying my graduation by a year.

Appreciate any insight, I'm very torn!

 

[Crow]

Hi all,

I'd love some advice.

I have received (very gratefully) an offer for med at JMP UON. However, I would personally prefer to study at Griffith uni due to it bing a lot closer to home. I have an undergraduate degree which I completed a few years back. I'm not sure if I should take the JMP offer starting this year and also sit the GAMSAT this year to apply for Griffith next year (would Griffith look at this unfavourably putting me at a disadvantage? and will my GPA come from only a completed degree or will my year of med be added?). If I get into Griffith I would start there next year and would graduate the same year due to the shorter length but if I don't get in just stay at JMP. Or, defer my JMP offer, sit GAMSAT and apply for Griffith for next year. However, if I don't get in then I would be starting the 5 year JMP from next year, hence delaying my graduation by a year.

Appreciate any insight, I'm very torn!

Would be worth reading the GEMSAS guide to have an understanding of how graduate entry applications are assessed. You need to find out if Griffith would exclude you on the basis of having been previously enrolled in a medical degree or not. If not, then it's up to you - personally I wouldn't delay starting at JMP on the off chance you might get into Griffith in the following year but that depends on your circumstances. Although I'm curious as to why you selected UoN over Armidale which is much closer to SEQ if that's where you want to be based?

No, they wouldn't look at your application unfavourably in the interview setting if that's what you mean.

 

[hopeful12345]

Would be worth reading the GEMSAS guide to have an understanding of how graduate entry applications are assessed. You need to find out if Griffith would exclude you on the basis of having been previously enrolled in a medical degree or not. If not, then it's up to you - personally I wouldn't delay starting at JMP on the off chance you might get into Griffith in the following year but that depends on your circumstances. Although I'm curious as to why you selected UoN over Armidale which is much closer to SEQ if that's where you want to be based?

No, they wouldn't look at your application unfavourably in the interview setting if that's what you mean.

I've looked into GEMSAS and contacted Griffith who have informed me that being enrolled in another medical degree will not exclude me.
Newcastle has more frequent and cheaper flights compared to Armidale.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi all,

I'd love some advice.

I have received (very gratefully) an offer for med at JMP UON. However, I would personally prefer to study at Griffith uni due to it bing a lot closer to home. I have an undergraduate degree which I completed a few years back. I'm not sure if I should take the JMP offer starting this year and also sit the GAMSAT this year to apply for Griffith next year (would Griffith look at this unfavourably putting me at a disadvantage? and will my GPA come from only a completed degree or will my year of med be added?). If I get into Griffith I would start there next year and would graduate the same year due to the shorter length but if I don't get in just stay at JMP. Or, defer my JMP offer, sit GAMSAT and apply for Griffith for next year. However, if I don't get in then I would be starting the 5 year JMP from next year, hence delaying my graduation by a year.

Appreciate any insight, I'm very torn!

If you would really prefer Griffith, then I personally think it’s completely reasonable to defer your JMP offer and have a good crack at GAMSAT as long as you’re definitely eligible for Griffith, etc. You can also use your year off to work, gain other experiences, etc.

Even if you do end up at JMP after a year, the delay is not a big deal as far as I’m concerned (as someone who is doing Med in their 30s after having worked and had many really valuable life experiences). Other opinions may vary, but that’s my 2c!

A couple of things to think about: have you sat GAMSAT before? Do you know what you’re in for? Is your GPA competitive for Griffith (as grad entry Med generally requires higher GPA than JMP)?

 

[hopeful12345]

If you would really prefer Griffith, then I personally think it’s completely reasonable to defer your JMP offer and have a good crack at GAMSAT as long as you’re definitely eligible for Griffith, etc. You can also use your year off to work, gain other experiences, etc.

Even if you do end up at JMP after a year, the delay is not a big deal as far as I’m concerned (as someone who is doing Med in their 30s after having worked and had many really valuable life experiences). Other opinions may vary, but that’s my 2c!

A couple of things to think about: have you sat GAMSAT before? Do you know what you’re in for? Is your GPA competitive for Griffith (as grad entry Med generally requires higher GPA than JMP)?

Thanks your your insight.

I am mid-late 20's. I currently work in a hospital however my contract is due to expire in a couple months with no guarantee of a renewal so if I can't get an extension of my contract then I wouldn't want to waste the year when I could've started.

I haven't sat the GAMSAT before. My GPA for my completed degree is 6.6, however, I'm unsure if this would change after a year of undergrad medicine.

 

[Crow]

I've looked into GEMSAS and contacted Griffith who have informed me that being enrolled in another medical degree will not exclude me.
Newcastle has more frequent and cheaper flights compared to Armidale.

Ok, I only comment on GEMSAS as you ask how your GPA will be calculated which is covered in the guide.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Thanks your your insight.

I am mid-late 20's. I currently work in a hospital however my contract is due to expire in a couple months with no guarantee of a renewal so if I can't get an extension of my contract then I wouldn't want to waste the year when I could've started.

I haven't sat the GAMSAT before. My GPA for my completed degree is 6.6, however, I'm unsure if this would change after a year of undergrad medicine.

The GPA for your completed degree would be used by Griffith, not your single year of Med at JMP, so your GPA would be 6.60 assuming correct calculation: https://gemsas.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/How-to-calculate-your-GPA_v3.pdf

 

[daredevil]

Hi!
I am planning on applying for non-standard medicine at the end of this year after 1 year of a Bachelor's degree. I am choosing between Griffith B of Science (Major in Clinical Science) or WSU B of Medical Science.
Does anyone here have any experience with these degrees? Which one would be 'easier' to gain a higher GPA in?
Thank you

 

[occhiolisms]

UoN did have a program whereby students in a particular degree (can’t remember which one) could receive an interview invite on the basis of rural UCAT cut offs rather than non-rural, even if they were non-rural, but I believe that has already been scrapped. And WSU have never had a pathway like that as far as I’m aware/as far as we’ve ever had reported here.

Thank you! In your opinion, would it make more sense to take on 18 units of uni work instead of 24 units this year while I attempt the UCAT? This would mean I've done exactly 75% of my first year units.

 

[Some guy]

Hi!
I am planning on applying for non-standard medicine at the end of this year after 1 year of a Bachelor's degree. I am choosing between Griffith B of Science (Major in Clinical Science) or WSU B of Medical Science.
Does anyone here have any experience with these degrees? Which one would be 'easier' to gain a higher GPA in?
Thank you

Are these the only options? Per the response to your previous post, it's not a good idea to enrol in a Science/Med Science degree solely for the purpose of reapplying to medicine in a later year. The link to this advice in a longer form, again: Common pitfalls to avoid for year 12 school leavers and other medicine applicants

Not sure where we're at in offer rounds but have you also considered degrees like nursing, pharmacy, or any of the other more vocationally-oriented degrees? You have the same chances of getting a med offer with a good GPA in these courses, and also a good alternative career if required.

If you really want to only choose between the two options you mention, take my uninformed recommendation and go for WSU. There'd be no one here who has enrolled in both WSU and Griffith degrees, so any comparison of difficulty will be entirely subjective. But WSU at least gives you better access to Sydney as a place to live, and from passing observation the science labs look new and well equipped (note I've never seen the Griffith campus so this is indeed a subjective view).

 

[DriftingDogs]

Hey Guys!
I recently graduated from the IB and unfortunately I ended up receiving a lower score than my predicted. Originally, I wanted to study law/comm or business because I was enamoured by the luxurious lifestyle associated with investment banking/working for a big law firm and only sat the UCAT due to parental pressure. For that reason, I guess you can tell my UCAT results weren't stellar. However, after that exam and some internal conflict about future careers I realised during the school holidays that I would like to pursue medicine as the culture of prestige based on money in those aforementioned jobs would probably turn me into a miserable person.

So here's the current situation I am in, my IB score translates to an ATAR 98.7 making me ineligible for Griffith which was my top preference. Naturally, I was quite devastated as I would have loved to study medicine there but I am now wondering how to plan my strategy moving forward this year. Judging from all of the information I've gathered off lurking in these forums the past couple weeks, the only options available to me currently are:

1. Apply for Bond medicine and sit interviews for a chance to get a spot (400K fees but graduate at least a year earlier)
2. Apply non-standard (Resit UCAT and finish 1 full year of a science undergraduate course with a high GPA)
3. Sit GAMSAT in my 2nd and 3rd years of my science undergraduate course
4. Take a Gap-year and resit UCAT + November IB exams and apply as school leaver for 2022

Option 4 seems risky but I have seen enough students make substantial improvements in their IB exams to convince me that it is a viable option. What have the odds been like for non-standard entry to UNSW, JMP, WSU? For UNSW, I heard the ATAR cut-off's were 99.25: would I still have a realistic chance with a 98.7 given I get a high enough GPA to balance out my ATAR along with a kickass interview and UCAT? Wanting some second opinions. The non-standard entry option requires me to leave QLD and travel to NSW but I see that as an insignificant issue. I know that it's going to be a grind to get there but I am prepared to sacrifice for this dream of mine.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

DriftingDogs a couple of points of clarification. JCU and Bond are within-Qld non-standard options. And UNSW will use the best of your ATAR or GPA, not a combo any longer. So straight 7s would see you academically competitive based on this year (though that’s no guarantee for future years).

Finally, JPM/WSU offers tend to skew heavily to non-standards. Check out the offer data for more info.

 

[DriftingDogs]

DriftingDogs a couple of points of clarification. JCU and Bond are within-Qld non-standard options. And UNSW will use the best of your ATAR or GPA, not a combo any longer. So straight 7s would see you academically competitive based on this year (though that’s no guarantee for future years).

Finally, JPM/WSU offers tend to skew heavily to non-standards. Check out the offer data for more info.

I figured that I may as well apply through the post-grad pathway for med if I am not able to achieve a high enough GPA and UCAT score for JMP/WSU/UNSW this year because I can apply to so many more med schools. Bond fees remain a huge barrier to entry while I'm not sure how strong of a case I have for JCU which favours rural applicants. Thanks for the heads up about the UNSW criteria and compiling all that data for offers from those med schools. It seems like it took a long time to compile.

 

[Crow]

I figured that I may as well apply through the post-grad pathway for med if I am not able to achieve a high enough GPA and UCAT score for JMP/WSU/UNSW this year because I can apply to so many more med schools.

You can do both non-standard and grad entry applications - you don’t have to pick one or the other. This would give you the best chance of getting in.

 

[SmallBrain]

If you did HL maths or a language, your rank is boosted to 99.95 at uq. If you are willing to take the gap year and focus only on UCAT i think its definitely doable. This is in qld as well so that might also be a bonus depending on how you look at it. The only issue is im not sure whether subject bonuses apply to gap year applicants (can someone pls confirm this?)

p.s. other unis might offer bonus points too but i only know of uq

 

[DrDrLMG!]

If you did HL maths or a language, your rank is boosted to 99.95 at uq. If you are willing to take the gap year and focus only on UCAT i think its definitely doable. This is in qld as well so that might also be a bonus depending on how you look at it. The only issue is im not sure whether subject bonuses apply to gap year applicants (can someone pls confirm this?)

p.s. other unis might offer bonus points too but i only know of uq

Historically, UQ haven’t accepted gap year students at all. I haven’t heard that that has changed.

 

[DriftingDogs]

I think LMG! may have a point here because my friend took a gap year and got a competitive ATAR (99.6) and UCAT (95th percentile) but did not get an offer for UQ med. However, he was offered an interview so it may have been his interview performance that prevented him from an offer rather than a general UQ rule. A second language is required for the IB so I have those bonus points. I also did the UQ WRIT1999 which gives me another bonus point. Kinda sucks as I had to pay for the course and probably won’t get to use that extra bonus point for UQ now.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

I think LMG! may have a point here because my friend took a gap year and got a competitive ATAR (99.6) and UCAT (95th percentile) but did not get an offer for UQ med. However, he was offered an interview so it may have been his interview performance that prevented him from an offer rather than a general UQ rule. A second language is required for the IB so I have those bonus points. I also did the UQ WRIT1999 which gives me another bonus point. Kinda sucks as I had to pay for the course and probably won’t get to use that extra bonus point for UQ now.

If your friend got an interview then it’s possible either:
A. It was a mistake (wouldn’t be the first time med admissions made an error )
B. They’ve changed their policy

Would be worth looking into it.

ETA: I just had a look at the UQ website. It would seem it was A. Their policy still seems to be no gap year students.

 

[DriftingDogs]

If your friend got an interview then it’s possible either:
A. It was a mistake (wouldn’t be the first time med admissions made an error )
B. They’ve changed their policy

Would be worth looking into it.

ETA: I just had a look at the UQ website. It would seem it was A. Their policy still seems to be no gap year students.

Just did some more research and from what I gather, UQ does not accept gap year students. However, resitting the IB exams at the end of this year makes me a school-leaver so I can apply to all the undergrad medical schools. This path is still pretty risky cause if things don’t go well with the UCAT, I will basically have wasted a year.